Burton Ale

from Greg Hackenberg

See “Everything in its Right Place II” for more detail and background.

Owd Richard Burton Ale
OG 1.070 (75% efficiency)
IBUs 66 (yes, a lot, and could be more)
SRM 27
10 lb Maris Otter 78%
1 lb Crystal 60 8%
8 oz Crystal 120 4%
4 oz chocolate malt 2%
1 lb Invert No.2 (more on that) 8%
Infusion Mash at 155^oF
90 minute boil (at least).

2 oz. EKG 5%AA and 1 oz. Challenger 7.5% 60 min.
½ oz. EKG 5%AA dry hop just before or at kegging/bottling (old school addition).
So, here is a nice little Burton for your consideration. Higher mash temp for more residual sugars, and a nice smack of bitterness to balance. Boil the you-know-what out of it, or pull a gallon of first runnings and boil that down to syrup. Invert sugar is a sugar syrup caramelized to different levels (No. 1, No. 2, No. 3) similar to Belgian candi syrup. For a substitute for no. 2 use ¾ Lyles Golden syrup (World Market has it) and ¼ treacle (Lyles dark syrup) or molasses.

For yeast, avoid the “dry” “high gravity” and other high attenuators, you want your yeast to crap out. Wyeast 1318 London III is a good choice, as is WLP002 English Ale Yeast/1968 London ESB. For the full effect, give it a long secondary with a tube of WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii. Do not be afraid of this strain, it will smooth this beer out and fill in flavors with mild fruit esters, and that essential tartness.

1877 Whitbread KKK (K’s stand for “keeping”, as in aged).
OG 1.079 (75% efficiency)
IBUs 73 (yes, a lot, and could be more)
SRM 10
11 lb Maris Otter 77%
2 lb Mild Malt 14%
1 lb Invert No. 1 9%
Infusion Mash at 152 ^oF
90 minute boil (at least).
1.5 oz. EKG 5%AA first wort hopped
2oz. Challenger 7.5% 60 min.
1 oz. EKG 5%AA 30 min.
1 oz. EKG 5%AA dry hop just before or at kegging/bottling
Yeast: WLP007 Dry English Ale (a Whitbread yeast)

This is basically, the beer I have aging with WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii for Mardi Gras. Let it “keep” for a good while, hit it with some fresh hops and enjoy.